Tag: butterfly host plants

Phlowers – Spring Festival #4 – Purple-Blue Shades

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers15 Comments

Week #4 of The Day After’s challenge finds me in sync with Dawn’s post of Just Shades of Purple. I can relate to anyone who loves the color purple. I also found an abundance of beautiful purples blossoming, shades from bluish-purple to a true lavender.

Violets are a welcome sight in Spring. They can be invasive, but I don’t mind that in the least. In a hard-to-weed garden border, its exuberant leafing out saves me hours of labor every summer. They are also the primary host plant for the Frittalary Butterfly.

The lovely Periwinkle is one of the first flowers of Spring.

Grape hyacinths have spread from a dozen or so bulbs my son gave me years ago. They have naturalized and even show up in the lawn.

Lavender and purple combine perfectly in a beautiful viola blossom. Thanks to Dawn for hosting this Festival Challenge.

Planting – Butterfly Garden Host Plant – Dill

On By TimelessladyIn Planting12 Comments

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In the Spring, garden seed racks are available in almost every store I shop in. It’s hard to resist taking a moment to look over their display in search of something new. I’ve noticed almost every seed company offers a packet of mixed flowers that will draw butterflies. I enjoy growing flowers for butterflies and find zinnias are a favorite of the delicate winged creatures.

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An additional way of bringing butterflies into your yard is to grow the plant/plants they use as a host for their offspring. Dill is one of the best for attracting swallowtail butterflies to your yard. Dill is  readily available as a plant or seed in most garden centers.

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Dill is easy to grow and a good choice for a child’s garden. The yellow flowers resemble a burst a fireworks, and the seeds they develop can be collected for cooking. The fern-like foliage is  a perfect addition to many recipes. I sow dill seeds directly in the garden beds, and also start it indoors for quicker blooms. Give dill a try, you won’t be disappointed.